Fishermen from Fukushima Prefecture, whose livelihoods have been decimated by the nuclear disaster, are stepping up their efforts to urge the government to intervene. Yesterday, Hiroshi Kishi, head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, hand delivered a formal request to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, asking him to address the current leak and prevent further ones. Kishi also called TEPCO President Naomi Hirose to his offices. Fishermen had planned to resume test fishing in September, in the hopes that radiation levels would be low enough for them to begin sales soon after. However, they cancelled those plans when the most recent leaks were announced, with the knowledge that consumers were unlikely to set aside their fears about the safety of seafood from northeastern Japan. “The operators of the plant are reacting too late every time in whatever they do," said one fisherman from Yotsukura, Fumio Suzuki. "We say, 'Don't spill contaminated water,' and they spill contaminated water. They are always a step behind, so that is why we can't trust them." Nobuyuki Hatta, Director of the Fukushima Prefecture Fisheries Research Center noted, "People in the fishing business have no choice but to give up. Many have mostly given up already."

Their fears about the long-term prospects of fishing off the northeastern coast of Japan may be justified. Tanaka has said more than once that he believes that releasing lower-level radioactive water into the ocean is inevitable, because the plant is running out of places to store it. "We cannot keep making tanks endlessly," said TEPCO President Naomi Hirose. And this week, researchers from the Atomic Energy Society of Japan (AESJ), a pro-nuclear organization, said that the water should be diluted and dumped into the ocean, rather than being stored. "It would be realistic to dilute the contaminated water to levels found in the natural world and release it into the ocean after removing radioactive materials other than tritium," their statement said. However, doing so would violate the 1972 London Convention, which prevents Japan or any other country from dumping radioactive materials into international waters. Experts have cautioned that radioactive materials could accumulate in fish and enter the food chain.

TEPCO has consistently bypassed or completely ignored safety rules and laws. Why are the violations completely ignored by the regulating authorities. ...

TEPCO has consistently bypassed or completely ignored safety rules and laws. Why are the violations completely ignored by the regulating authorities. It's amazing what money can buy while ignoring the health and safety of not only the Japanese people but the world. The international community should step in. There is a lot at stake and obviously TEPCO is not qualified to solve these problems. 2 1/2 years have passed they still don't know what they are doing. The government is afraid of killing the Golden Goose. Thank you Greenpeace.

to Boris-- Why are the violations completely ignored by the regulating authorities.

because the LDP who ruled JP for ever ( except the s...

to Boris-- Why are the violations completely ignored by the regulating authorities.

because the LDP who ruled JP for ever ( except the short Democratic Party stint ) are old 'nomitomodachi' with Tepco and the 'atomic mura', this means Amakudari and nemawashi and zero transparency.
also when the accident happened--this means the tsunami struck the plant ( which was built on too low level--they even took a hill off to be able to build that low,) TEPCO was lost..and their TOP all ran away. DP had no authority--NPP and LDP is strong connected since decades and they cover each other. They lied to their own population for weeks, even though foreign media broadcasted the only logical truth. JP people not believed their own government as Sat AM after the quake Tokyo shops had zero food, no toiltepaper, no water. Everyone prepared to stay in house for days for the contamination.

Entegy, following its own decision to close the Vermont Yankee npp, is begging for more subsidies in order to protect "merchant" nuclear ind...

Entegy, following its own decision to close the Vermont Yankee npp, is begging for more subsidies in order to protect "merchant" nuclear industry from "artificially deflated" energy prices.
Entegy is happy to cash the profits but when it comes to losses it wants the taxpayer to pitch in.
Next what? Rolls Royce asking for subsidies to protect it from articially deflated prices of Toyota cars?

The US regulations allow Entegy to wait 60 years before dismantling Vermont Yankee. Will Entegy still be in business by then? Will the funds set aside for decommissioning still be there by then? The people who know the plant inside out will definitely not be there. Entegy must start decommissioning as soon as possible, as it being done in Germany.

"the decommissioning of all 10 nuclear reactors in Fukushima Prefecture, not just those that were damaged in the 2011 nuclear disaster."

"the decommissioning of all 10 nuclear reactors in Fukushima Prefecture, not just those that were damaged in the 2011 nuclear disaster."
The statement above (from NHK?) is not correct: *all* reactors in Fukushima have been damaged by the quake. Fukushima Daini was inches away from a meltdown for one or two weeks after the quake.
In the quoted statement above "damaged" should read "destroyed".

Tepco is a criminal company covered and supported by the Japanese LDP and Abe. The Japanese people voted again for him and the zombies are back from y...

Tepco is a criminal company covered and supported by the Japanese LDP and Abe. The Japanese people voted again for him and the zombies are back from years ago where they created nothing good for Japan. He should have been in charge and responsible when the LDP made disaster occured. It is not the builders of the plant, but Tepcos fault alone how the disaster was handled, pls read all details carefully. Naoto Kan did well to yell at top officials at TEPCO to go back when the dissater struck and work--those guys 'RAN' AWAY then a shame! and left the plant to its own. If NO Kan, who knows where Kanto-area would be by now. Nuclear power plants safety can be controlled to a huge extend IF the government and the plant management are not corrupt and run a plant appropriate. A smart and realistic energy mix is necessary and NPP produced and sold energy should contain, include all the risks and the decommission of plants in its price. No matter how safe you build a plant, if it is not protected against a suicide bombers attack, or a tsunami ( quakes are OK ) like Fukushima where Tepco took off a hill to lower the plants area on sea level and with no real tsunami wall built in an area that predicted 30 mm high tsunamis--to save a couple of dollars...for a wall and a cooling system that works...this is all the plants operator fault and not Toshiba's etc...and the government who has no real watching over authority...Even Kan had to yell at them to get them back to work...the cowards ran away...such an technology cannot be run and overseen by cowards.

Is the World Health Organization revisiting its low estimations of health risks from radiation from Fukushima or still colluding with government autho...

Is the World Health Organization revisiting its low estimations of health risks from radiation from Fukushima or still colluding with government authorities and the energy sector in downplaying the risks? What about the ecological impacts - on both terrestrial and marine species? Where is the IAEA - sitting behind computer monitors "evaluating the situation" like it did during the early days?

Geologic faults right beneath reactors 2 and 3 at Oi npp: the last time the NRA experts team looked at those faults most of the members were convinced...

Geologic faults right beneath reactors 2 and 3 at Oi npp: the last time the NRA experts team looked at those faults most of the members were convinced the faults were active.

Today they all have changed their mind and reached unanimity at declaring the faults not active and paving the way for the reactors restart -- as if Fukushima were sitting on an active fault when it blew up.

I am sad for the people of Japan and the Pacific ocean. I am fearful of the ongoing threat of nuclear reactors all over the world. Countries like Ge...

I am sad for the people of Japan and the Pacific ocean. I am fearful of the ongoing threat of nuclear reactors all over the world. Countries like Germany pledge to be 100% clean green energy; no more nuclear energy needed there. their plants will all be dismantled. This needs to be done worldwide. Our planet can't continually keep taking the abuses of humans --> its time to heal the planet!

I am appalled at the lack of concern by the Japanese Government, on discharge Cesium 137 and Cesium 135. Cs135 has a half life of 2.3 million years! ...

I am appalled at the lack of concern by the Japanese Government, on discharge Cesium 137 and Cesium 135. Cs135 has a half life of 2.3 million years! This country has pumped millions of gallons into the ocean, that touches every shore with it's radioactivity. Just another fact, the ocean provides 80% of the oxygen for the planet, as well as the source for rain for crops. If you kill the vast array of plankton, coral reefs and aquatic like, this planet will cease to have any life present....the time to act is now.